snares

We loaned out one of our Cat Traps to a couple to help them catch a cat that was hanging around their house and looked to be injured. They caught her and brought her to us and Kelly brought her up to our Vets. The smell from the poor thing was horrible and her belly was huge.

After she was sedated we found she had been caught in a snare that had wrapped around her 'waist' and had cut into her all around except for a small 1 inch area across her back. It had caught just in front of her pelvis and had made the area literally about 1 inch around. We were amazed that she was even able to urinate or poo because there was just NO SPACE. The saddest thing was that this cat was pregnant and her belly was HUGE. Our vet said that this cat was caught just in the nick of time...she was about to go into labour and there wasn't room for the babies to come out because of her injuries. Her uterus would have ruptured killing both her and the babies.

The only choice was to do a emergency spay, aborting the babies. Both the vet and we were very sad about this, you never like to have to do something like this, but it was the only choice. It made us realize just how awesome our vet was that after all of her years in practice she was still saddened by having to abort these babies.

The Mother's cat's life is saved though and she will heal fine, after LOTS of TLC. She is a semi-feral cat but the wonderful people who trapped her are willing to take her back and care for her. So after a 1 week stay with Cottage Rescue where she will receive some injections of antibiotics she will go home to her family. Her wounds are horrific but cats heal SO well that she will be fine in time.

I think this poor cat must have used up 8 of her lives in surviving this one. It is a true miracle that she did.

After her recovery she was released back to the peoples garden!

We received a call not long ago about a fox caught in a snare. The people were very upset as the fox was alive and going into shock from the fear. We told the people we would come out and do our best to release the fox. We got some supplies ready and headed out to where the fox was spotted. We finally managed to find the fox and by the time we had arrived the fox had been I the snare at least 8 hours. He was exhausted and in shock from struggling to free himself. The snare was the type used to catch Badgers and are illegal to use here in Ireland.

We got the fox sedated and cut him free from the wire snare. You can see the snare in the picture to the left. After checking the fox for injuries we wrapped him in a blanket and left him in a safe place until he would wake up. It was very rewarding to have helped free this fox, he was a gorgeous young male. We would encourage anyone who is out walking and sees a snare to pull it up so that it doesn't catch a fox, dog, cat or other animal.

DON'T CRY FOR ME WHEN I'M GONE

Three score and ten are given to man,
But ours is a much briefer span.
So, though I give you all my heart,
The time will come when we must part.
But all around you, you will see,
Creatures that speak to you of me;
A tired horse, a hunted thing,
A sparrow with a broken wing ...
Pity - and help (I know you will)
And somehow, I will be with you still;
And I shall know, although I'm gone,
The love I gave you lingers on.

*Author unknown*